The present invention relates to mechanisms by which nacelle components of a turbofan gas turbine engine can be coupled and decoupled.
FIG. 1 schematically represents a high-bypass turbofan engine 10 of a type known in the art. The engine 10 is schematically represented as including a nacelle 12 and a core engine (module) 14. A fan assembly 16 located in front of the core engine 14 includes a spinner nose 20 projecting forwardly from an array of fan blades 18. The core engine 14 is schematically represented as including a high-pressure compressor 22, a combustor 24, a high-pressure turbine 26 and a low-pressure turbine 28. A large portion of the air that enters the fan assembly 16 is bypassed to the rear of the engine 10 to generate additional engine thrust. The bypassed air passes through an annular-shaped bypass duct 30 between the nacelle 12 and an inner core cowl 36 of the core engine 14, and exits the duct 30 through a fan exit nozzle 32. The core cowl 36 defines the radially inward boundary of the bypass duct 30, and provides an aft core cowl transition surface to a primary exhaust nozzle 38 that extends aftward from the core engine 14.
The nacelle 12 is typically composed of three primary elements that define the external boundaries of the nacelle 12: an inlet assembly 12A, a fan cowl 12B including a fan case that surrounds the fan blades 18, and a thrust reverser assembly 12C located aft of the fan cowl 12B. The thrust reverser assembly 12C comprises four primary components: a translating cowl 34A mounted to the nacelle 12, the inner core cowl 36 of the core engine 14, a cascade 34B schematically represented within the nacelle 12, and a blocker door 34C schematically represented as being pivotally deployed from a position radially inward from the cascade 34B. The bypassed fan air flows between fan duct flow surfaces defined by the translating cowl 34 and the core cowl 36 before being exhausted through the fan exit nozzle 32. The translating cowl 34 translates to expose the cascade 34B and cause the blocker door 34C to deploy and divert bypassed air through the exposed cascade 34B.
In recent engine systems, the thrust reverser assembly 12C has been configured to separate from the fan cowl 12B and translate aft to allow access to the core cowl 36 and the core compartment of the core engine 14. Such a configuration requires the ability to connect and disconnect a fixed structure of the thrust reverser assembly 12C (which includes the cascade 34B) at a fixed structure (generally, the fan case) surrounded by the fan cowl 12B.